LGHTNOVELBOOK 281. King's Reign
(Legendary) [King's Reign]
The skill activated. Gold light poured out from Ike's body. It burst from his back and wrapped around his shoulders and chest, seared from his forehead and ringed around his head, materialized at his wrists and ankles, bound his waist. The gold light circled a short distance from his body, perhaps an inch, with vicious tall spikes that pointed up along his body. On his back, it grew long with no spikes, instead taking the form of a luscious long golden cape. Golden braids bound it across his chest. On his head, the spikes grew longer upward than down, charging up into the sky over his head in a fierce golden crown.
In his free hand, a long golden scepter appeared. The scepter had a slender staff, growing wider toward either end. At its lower end, a small orb floated just beyond the carved-out round end; on the upper end, a large orb floated millimeters above the haft, itself ringed with the same gold spikes. Ike closed his hand around it, and the scepter fell into his palm, taking on weight and becoming fully material. Mana flowed from the staff into his hand, empowering him with every passing moment.
Ike looked up. All the mana surrounding them, and aether too, swirled toward the staff. He could see it—he didn't know why, or how, but right now, he could see mana. It burst through the sky, then spun overhead, draining down into the scepter like water down a drain. It was as if he had full dominion over every scrap of mana in the region, and all of it recognized his right to rule and wanted nothing more than to serve his every command.
Huh? That's not how I usually think.
But right now, it felt right. He commanded. He owned. He reigned. He was the king, and him alone.
The knowledge to operate the skill poured into his head. All its techniques, subtechniques, and secrets, all of them freely flying into him. If not for the golden energy supplementing his aether and healing him constantly, he might have collapsed from the sudden surge of knowledge alone. His head ached, but it was at a reasonable level. He could handle the pain without flinching.
The charcoal figure closed in on him. Ike swept the scepter. An array of golden, two-dimensional spikes surrounded him, cut in at the very bottom. They hovered there for a split second, then swept forth, flying toward the figure.
The figure cursed. It dashed left and right, trying to dodge the spikes, but they chased after it. One after another, they found their target and sunk into the figure's flesh.
Ike reached out. He closed his hand. "Detonate."
The golden blades burst, blasting out one after another. The figure toppled, hitting the ground again. This time, it immediately jumped up, only for lightning to flash around Ike. He reappeared inches before it, so close they felt one another's breath.
The figure had enough time to jump back before the scepter nailed it in the hips. Once more, it flew off, bouncing along the ground and leaving behind scorch marks everywhere it hit. Embers danced after it, hissing in the leaf mould.
Ike charged after it again. His whole body felt so alive, alight with aether and in perfect health. He'd never felt so strong, so utterly fulfilled. It was as if he was operating at his absolute peak, using every piece of energy he had optimally. And he had so much energy. So much energy!
The figure healed as it jumped up. It charged in, faster than Ike expected. He blocked with the Hungry Sword, but its blow slammed the sword back into Ike's own face. Stunned, he stepped back. One hit after another, the figure hammered into Ike.
He barely felt it. There was heat, and dull impact, but that was it.
Ike jumped away, gaining some space. He spun the scepter overhead. All the mana poured into it, sucking it down more desperately than before. The skill whispered to him. Hinted at a powerful activation, something he hadn't tried yet. And before him, he had the most wonderful punching bag.
The figure's eyes widened. They howled with rage and rushed at Ike. "Don't you dare!"
Ike laughed. Energy built up in him, so much it couldn't help but pour out of his eyes. Two gold beams fell on the figure, and he grinned, shaking his head mischievously. "Oh, I dare."
He lowered the scepter at the figure, pointing its tip at them. The orb at its end elongated into a sharp point. At the end of that sharp point, a tiny ball of gold light appeared.
The figure turned. It fled, racing away from Ike with all its power.
"Fire," Ike whispered.
The tiny ball of gold light released a slender beam of gold light. That light pierced through the figure's head.
They ran on. One step, two. Under their blackened skin, gold energy coursed through their body. It shone through here and there, as if it had been used to repair a thousand cracks on the shattered pottery that was the figure's body.
On the third step, the figure exploded. Black charcoal flew everywhere, and gold light flew out. A shockwave chased it, shattering every tree for hundreds of feet. The figure was destroyed. Not only that, but the trial was over. Ike had the skill. The right to become king.
He turned toward his citizens, then paused. His brows furrowed.
But I don't want to be king. I want to be Ike.
He pushed down those weak thoughts. They didn't matter. Instead, he raised the scepter toward his citizens. The ones who had been running at him paused, hesitation appearing on their faces. And that was right. They were lesser, and ought to recognize their place.
"Bow in the presence of your new king," he ordered, his eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, yeah, real funny," one of them said, rolling her eyes.
How insolent. She dared treat her king with such impropriety? He pointed the scepter at her. A single blade materialized, pointed at her heart.
She froze. Shock flashed over her face. "Ike?"
"I am not Ike. I am King," he declared.
Wisp licked her lips. She grimaced. "Uh oh, guys. I think we have a new problem."